A reflection on the visual components of five works of flowers and birds byProfessor Haj Mirza Agha Emami

Master of Painting, Tabriz University of Islamic Arts, the painting of flowers and chickens has always been in the mind and language of Iranian artists. By representing this theme in his works of art, from pottery, metal, textiles and other hand-made works, the artist has brought nature into daily life in the concept of Garden of Heaven. From the distant past, the relationship between birds and flight has been meaningful to Iranians. The bird has been a manifestation of flight, climbing and flourishing, and the flower is an allusion to the passing of life that is dear to man. "The subjects of flower and bird paintings are mostly flowers, bushes and birds, and sometimes insects such as bees and flying butterflies are also seen, which are mostly used to complete the composition. Flowers and birds can be identified by the viewer in this way and there is nothing more or less in terms of botany or anatomy of birds, but these components are not in nature in the way they are seen in the works.During the Qajar period, the art of book design and painting declined, and methods such as oil, enamel, and lacquer paintings became popular in this era. Paintings with the theme of flowers and chickens are among the arts that were growing in this era. The first mentality that emerges after hearing this topic of flowers and chickens is the presence of two visual elements of flowers and chickens in nature. Artists in different ages have used these two visual elements in different ways and created valuable works. Among the prominent artists of this area in the Qajar era, we can mention Mirza Agha Amami. Mirza Agha Emami has created lasting works in different fields of art such as: flowers and birds, gilding, poetry, fuel cover, carpet design, pencil painting, wooden door decorations. This research is trying to introduce five of his works of flowers, to compare the forms of flowers and birds and the visual structure in the visual elements of the selected works, and to investigate the visual components of the studied works. The method of this research has been done in a descriptive-analytical and qualitative manner, and data collection is based on library information. Therefore, this research seeks to answer two basic questions: What similarities and differences do flowers and birds have with visual elements in nature in five selected works? The result of the research showed that the flowers of Mirza Agha Emami are more inclined to the naturalistic style, that is, they are similar to natural elements. He has used flowers such as cherry blossoms, primroses, marigolds, dahlias, and jasmine. Pigeons, lunar birds, and partridges can also be seen in his works. Mirza Agha Emami's works of flowers and birds are very concentrated in terms of composition structure, form, color, and birds or flowers also have a triangular composition. Balance, lack of dullness, harmony, decisiveness, integrity, variety, repetition are the visual components of this painting. In order to convey their ideas and ideals to others, artists choose various methods in the construction and composition of their works of art. What makes the audience interested in studying a work of art at first sight is the general and ruling order of the work. Each composition is the result of a set of rules and styles that find meaning along with the attitude and taste of the artist, which is in the direction of the concepts and ideas of the artist.According to the research done, we can get:The roots of flower and bird art can be found in the 7th and 8th centuries, which began its evolutionary form in the Safavid period and reached its peak in the Zandiyeh and Qajar periods. Mirza Agha Emami is also an outstanding artist who has created lasting works in this artistic style. Of course, this artist is a master in various art disciplines such as: gilding, poetry, painting, lacquer works, carpet map design, fuel cover, etc., and these unique features in his artistic activities and works, he distinguishes him from many of his contemporary artists. Following the answer to the questions of the present research, it can be acknowledged: the performance of Mirza Agha Emami's flower and bird works, in the Qajar period, the themes of flowers and flowers and flowers and birds were mostly executed in the lacquer method, but he used these themes in the style of Mirza Agha Emami's works of flowers and birds are executed with limited coloring and in combination with white color and soft bright shadows and delicate processing. In all the works of this artist, cherry blossoms and hazelnuts are engraved on the top of the work, sedbergh flowers in the center, hyacinth, nasturtium and iris flowers on the left or right side of the works. Also, apple blossoms, primroses and dahlias are engraved at the bottom of the works. 2 and finally 3 birds are used in the works of this artist. The compositions of these works are diffused, bushy and vertical. In terms of composition, these works have a completely balanced space, and also the positive and negative spaces are observed equally. Warm and soulful colors are often used in the background color of these works. Balance, order, half-tone, stability, stability, simplicity, harmony, decisiveness are some of the main visual components used in these works.